Nervous Pets & Anti-Anxiety Medication

To help make the visit as calm and stress-free as possible for your pet, we may recommend giving anti-anxiety medication at home before the appointment

If we have examined your pet within the last six months, we may be able to prescribe pre-visit medication to help reduce stress, fear, and reactivity during veterinary visits — making handling, examinations, and treatments much more comfortable for them. Medications will need to be ordered a minimum of one week ahead of your appointment. Unfortunately, we are unable to prescribe these medications for pets we have not seen recently.

For cats, this is most commonly gabapentin. For dogs, we may recommend trazodone, gabapentin, or sometimes a combination of both, depending on your dog’s needs, size, and temperament.

Timing can vary slightly between individuals, but medication is typically given around 2–3 hours before the appointment, when its calming effects are usually at their most beneficial. The effects generally last for 6–12 hours, although this can vary between pets.

Because response and metabolism differ — depending on weight, temperament, and medical history — some pets may require an adjusted dose. In some cases, if the initial dose has begun to wear off, we may advise a small “top-up” (microdose) to maintain the calming effect.

Nervous Pets & Anti-Anxiety Medication

To help make the visit as calm and stress-free as possible for your pet, we may recommend giving anti-anxiety medication at home before the appointment

​

For cats, this is most commonly gabapentin. For dogs, we may recommend trazodone, gabapentin, or sometimes a combination of both, depending on your dog’s needs, size, and temperament.

Timing can vary slightly between individuals, but medication is typically given around 2–3 hours before the appointment, when its calming effects are usually at their most beneficial. The effects generally last for 6–12 hours, although this can vary between pets.

Because response and metabolism differ — depending on weight, temperament, and medical history — some pets may require an adjusted dose. In some cases, if the initial dose has begun to wear off, we may advise a small “top-up” (microdose) to maintain the calming effect.

We will always guide you clearly on dosing and timing beforehand, and you are very welcome to contact us if you are unsure at any stage.